Honda Rollaway Hazard Prompts Another Recall

Honda Motor Co. plans to launch a global recall in February of 871,000 Acura and Honda models that could roll away after the ignition key is removed.

The campaign will involve 347,000 Honda Odyssey minivans and 277,000 Pilot crossovers from the 2003-2004 model years, plus 247,000 Acura MDX crossovers from the 2003-2006 model years. About 93% of the affected models were sold in the U.S.

The new campaign brings to more than 2.3 million the number of vehicles Honda has recalled since 2003 to fix the same hazard.

At issue in all cases is the ignition interlock, a device intended to prevent the ignition key from being removed until the driver has shifted the automatic transmission into "park." If the system fails, the key can be removed while the vehicle is in gear or neutral. If that happens and the driver fails to set the parking brake, the vehicle could roll away unattended.

Honda recalled more than 1 million vehicles between 2003 and 2009 to repair defective interlocks that could allow rollaways. In 2010, it recalled another 428,000 vehicles in North America because a different interlock component failed, thus producing the same risk.